Looking Through The Glass Mirror
by Y2Jen
Summary: With their enemy finally defeated, Chris Jericho and his friends can return to their normal lives. Or so they thought... it's not over yet! So why is Lillian Garcia involved? R&R please
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A/N: **Story two of the four separate side stories that take place after "Combating Feud And Fairytale" and again I'm not revealing who 'their true enemy' is because I haven't revealed it in the main story because nobody is giving a damn to read it. Shawn Michales is added into this story because he later comes in the main story as he is Chris Jericho's old mentor. This is a long story so I'm cutting it in half for easier reading. And if anyone read the first story, An oc WWE, it's still left untitled as that because I can't think of a good title for it. So pitch me one and maybe I'll take it.**

The night should've been quite, like any other normal night, but creatures were stirring, and stirring things up at that. They knew it, He was out there. Trish Stratus and Christian were running around, trying to find Him, but He was quite the evasive little hider. Chris Jericho, Kari Ketchum, Ash, and also Shawn Michaels were inside a hiding place of their own.

"No, you can't come out yet, just stay in there or else He will see you, and you're an easy target." Kari whispered as she emerged from the bushes and trees. They were in a park near their hotel.

"Oh damnit all." Chris growled as he held up Kari's mirror, his face still flush with fever. He was in his state of weakness, he had a condition where every now and then he would just become sick for no reason, but it always lasted only exactly 24 hours, and it was almost done. "Hurry up." He growled and then cleared his throat from the twinge sting.

"Don't worry, it's almost over, you're fine." Ash assured.

"Here he comes!" Kari ran off.

Trish and Christian were running, trying to catch Him and corner Him from either side, "Christian, here He comes!" Trish called out, her cat on her shoulder.

"I've got Him!" Christian jumped out as He became visible, swiping at him with his right arm.

"Fool." He snickered and punched him in the shoulder.

"Ah!" Christian drew back.

"Oh no, Christian!" Trish ran to him as he writhed in pain. "You know better than that, that's your injured arm and you know He knows that."

"And don't think I've forgotten you." He said.

"Huh?" Trish turned to see Him lung for her cat. "No!" She jumped back and dodged Him as He laughed and ran off. "No…" She growled with defeat.

"Don't worry, it's not over yet." Christian sighed.

"Look, the sun is coming up, it's down to the wire of minutes now!" Shawn pointed to the sunrise on the horizon.

"I can't wait that long!" Chris had his fists clenched.

"Stop right there!" Kari roared at their opponent. He turned to her and she picked up her kendo stick. "I've got YOU NOW!" She charged.

"That Singapore Cane is no match for me." He broke it easily with His own chop.

"Ah." Kari gasped as the splinters fell around her.

"No time now!" Chris jumped out into battle.

"No!" Shawn's protest fell on deaf ears.

"You can't do it, He'll kill you!" Ash cried.

"Spare me!" Chris stood his ground as He became visible.

"Oh no." Trish gasped.

"Chris, look out!" Christian called.

"Chris?" Kari turned around to see Chris smirking. "Huh?" She noticed the sun and glanced down at her watch and smiled. "The time has come, it's over now."

"Get ready to die, this all ends here and now!" Chris roared and charged at his opponent.

"Words. I would like to see you try." He smirked and they tangle and tussle began.

They fought and grappled and Chris remained valiant and called out, "He is weakened, now everyone, attack at once and end this!"

"Right!" Kari nodded and they all lunged at him, Trish, Christian, even Ash and Shawn, everyone was as determined as ever to finish it. "You, this is it, the game ends now!"

"No!" He roared as they painfully pummeled him until he fell unconscious and moved no more.

Everyone caught their breath and stood up as they surveyed their prey, "Is it… is it over?" Kari looked around at her friends.

"My arm." Christian gasped and he rubbed his arm, the trick feeling it would get lifted as it became less stiff and he moved it freely. "It doesn't hurt anymore."

"That's strange. Your arm always hurts when He is around, but He is right here. So then does that actually mean…?" Trish couldn't finish her sentence. She gasped, "Wait, then does that mean…?"

Elsewhere, Stephanie McMahon stopped dead in her tracks as she sensed a change in the wind. Triple H was sitting down lost in thought while Ivory teased and taunted Ric Flair, but lost off in his own mind he could feel something had happened. And lastly, Shane McMahon was walking around alone and he suddenly shook his head as he snapped awake and uttered only a name as he whirled around clearly, "Trish Stratus…!"

"Shane, then are you….?" Trish's eyes began to well up as the thought of her beloved returning to normal came to mind.

"I think, then it really is, it must be." Kari smiled with joy.

"It's over." Chris nodded and looked at the sun proudly. "He has been brought down at last, and the WWE can begin to heal and rebuild as a new and better world, for all of us to live in."

"Well put Chris." Shawn sniffed, wiping an invisible tear.

"Well Shawn, you're still here, so then it must be safe." Ash smirked.

"Hey." Shawn frowned.

"Smart kid there." Chris chuckled.

"I resent that." Shawn pouted and everyone laughed.

Meanwhile…

"What is it that I'm feeling? Is he gone…?" Both Triple H and Stephanie McMahon couldn't sense Him anymore, they couldn't feel his presence. They were both alone and far away from Him they could tell He was no longer there. But yet something told them, that this had only just begun, and it was far from over.

Later on...

"Where is He, why is He not answering His cell phone?" Victoria growled.

"He will not answer. He is gone." Melina spoke quietly.

"Gone?" Victoria blinked, confused, then frowned. "What's going on here, what do you know? He never tells me anything…!"

"We have a lot to do, come on Vic." Melina walked off.

"Mel, sometimes I hate it that you're the favorite." Victoria sighed and followed her.

That night…

"Oh boy, let's celebrate!" Trish and Kari cheered as they went to the sauna/gym in the hotel.

"Ah, now this is heaven." Kari cooed as she sat in the hot tub.

"I couldn't agree with you more." Trish shut her eyes as the bubbles seemed to massage all of the pain in her stiff muscles away.

"Come on, I want to go in there." Ash protested outside the door.

"You can't go in there with the girls." Chris told him again.

"They don't care, they're not naked, we've done that before." He continued.

"Can't say I don't blame you for trying Ash." Christian snickered.

"Hey, I just want to have fun."

"Hey, so do I."

"I think there's a difference." Chris chimed in.

"I don't care, they won't mind, I'm going in!" Ash opened the door.

"No!" Chris and Christian lunged forwards to grab him but he jumped aside to dodge them and that caused them to tumble into the room. "Whoa!" They looked up. "Eh?"

"Ah!" The girls cried and stood up.

"Get out pervs!" Trish roared and threw a towel on Christian's face.

"Chris!" Kari shrieked and dove back under the water to cover herself.

"It's not what it looks like, I swear!" Chris waved his arms and dove behind the wall.

Christian stood up, towel on his face, "It was for me…"

"Out, now!" Trish threw a shoe at him this time.

"Whoa!" He side stepped and ran out.

"I told you they'd mind." Chris growled at Ash.

"Maybe you two, but not me." He replied smugly.

"Look, I told you, I'm sorry." Chris repeated to Kari later that night as they all sat in the spa room looking out at the moon and stars.

"And I told you, whatever I don't care. So get over it."

Chris sighed and stared at the moon, "Nice night."

"Yeah." It was silent except for the gentle music to 'The Song of Love' playing quietly until Kari spoke up. "Chris…?"

"Yeah…?"

"Well, now that He's gone, what are you going to do?"

"I don't know, maybe tie up some loose personal ends, finish some other scores that have gone unsettled, and of course win the title."

"So, you mean mainly then RVD, Triple H and Steph then, right?"

"For the most part…"

"What about all of us?"

"I don't think anything will change between any of us. We may have different goals in life, but we're all friends and I don't think that will make a difference."

"So we'll still be the same?"

"I guess, well for the most part at least. I mean who knows what will happen to you."

"Hey." Kari growled.

Chris smirked, "Trish and Christian can handle themselves, but you'll just hold me back. I need to be as tough as I can be in order to win the title, no dead weight."

"Oh, so that's all I am to you then huh, just a dead weight." She put her hands on her hips but Chris ignored her. "Hey, look at me!" Chris turned to her, and in that one instant, in the mood of the moonlight, in a night sky dotted with stars, in a candle lit steam room, the sad and somewhat conflicted yet calm look he had hidden in his eyes, Kari gasped and was left completely out of breath and lost for words. "Uh…"

"What." Chris scoffed at her.

"Um, oh, nothing." She looked away, realizing she was blushing. It had been a while since she remembered how much she actually loved Chris, and yet since he was free now to do as he pleased, she knew he would go after Stephanie. He still loved her, and she herself was nowhere near even in his league. "I was just thinking about something stupid."

"Hmph." Chris pouted and ignored her, he just figured she had let the steam go to her head and was hallucinating in delusion.

The next day…

"This is only temporary, to see how it changes things. I don't want you to think this is permanent, it has been planned out for sometime. It's only because, He, is gone that it would be the best time." Linda McMahon was telling the gang.

"So." Trish turned to Christian. "Off to SmackDown then eh?"

"Yes." He nodded and they turned to their friends. "See you at the PPV's then I guess huh?"

"Yeah." Chris sighed, it would be so different not to travel in a group like they always did.

"But hey, it's only temporary." Kari smiled. "Nothing will change."

"And Ash." Linda looked down at her adopted son. "I want you to stay with me for a while."

"Alright." He nodded, understanding, after all, she must feel very conflicted now that He had finally been defeated and was gone. It would take a while for things to return to normal within the company, and especially between all of them who He had hurt the most.

"Come on then, I guess we'd better get going." Shawn led the Raw team of himself, Chris and Kari off.

"See you." Trish waved as she and Christian headed off to be with the rest of the SmackDown crew.

"I'm going to call Edge, we can travel with him." Christian spoke up.

"Alright." Trish agreed, but honestly she wasn't caring to listen, she was just thinking about Shane, and Christian knew that just by looking at her.

In the elevator Christian sighed and broke the silent tension, "Look, why don't you take a few days off and go look for him."

"Huh, what?" Trish snapped out of her thoughts and turned to him.

"It's obvious you can't get him out of your mind. Now that He has been taken down, you can find him and restore his memory."

"But…" Trish was hesitant, she had grown very attached to Christian.

He put his hands on her shoulders, "Just do it, go to him, you know you want to see him." He smiled. "Don't worry, it will be fine."

"Christian…" She sighed and hugged him closely. "Thank you." He patted her back.

"Edge and I will go see some of my friends too, don't worry. We all need some time alone and time off after all of this, it has been a while and even though it's over, it's not really done."

"Yes." Trish felt a tear go done her cheek. "You're right. Thank you."

Many things were going on at the same time…

"Where are we?" Victoria looked around the secret room, hidden in their hide out.

"Lillian Garcia."

"What?" Victoria gasped. "He still has her in here?"

"Remember when she dressed up as Linda to kidnap Stephanie? That was all by His planning. He stumbled across the drug by accident and has used it as his main weapon ever since. She was the first, she was the first one brainwashed by the amnesia drug."

"And somehow she was the most successful." Victoria sighed, rolling her eyes a bit.

"Where is the key?"

"Oh, THAT key?" Victoria had always wondered what that key was that she has been given long ago. "I let Shane have it, figured it was safe with him. Let's just go find him."

"It won't be easy."

"Oh, and why not?"

"Now that He is gone, Shane will start to regain his memories. He may have been the more important pawn, but he was also the weakest."

"Well it does make sense." Victoria sighed. "Alright, let's go find him."

"We need the key, we don't need Shane anymore."

Victoria watched Melina walk off and then looked at the locked door, "What is all of this? Why Lillian, what does she have to do with any of His plans? And he's gone now, why can't I do as I please?" Victoria sighed and followed, she had always been the less liked and longed for her freedom, but she had made a deal. So why now was she still following even though He was gone?

So everywhere, everyone was doing their own thing now that they had no worries… it was supposed to be a time of peace…

_Heaven's not enough, if when you get there, just another blue. And heaven's not enough, you think you've found it, and it loses you._

"Woohoo!" Kari was head banging, she and Chris were at a heavy metal concert in New York.

"This was a great idea." Chris smirked as he rocked out and enjoyed the music. "What a great way to celebrate."

"Yeah!" Kari stuck out her tongue as the song ended and horns were raised as far as the eye could see.

"Uh, Kari…?"

"Eh?" Kari turned to him, frozen in the standard tongue and horns pose.

Chris looked her up and down and frowned, "Please put your tongue back in your mouth, you look like a tramp with your mouth open that wide."

"Ah!" Kari gasped in offense and folded her arms into a pout. "Oh and like your throat is any better."

"Please." Chris scoffed. "How would you know anyways?" He smirked and rubbed his chin, "With a voice like mine, it must be coated in sugar and gold."

Kari made a long grimace and mumbled, "More like a sour lemon."

"Potato, tomato." Chris just brushed her off as the next song began over the roar of people. Kari went back to the music and smiled slightly to herself, she was happy things were becoming peaceful and she was also happy she could stay with Chris. Nothing had really changed between them. After the concert they headed back to the hotel. "What a nice night, the encore KILLED! Hah."

"Yeah, I couldn't think of anything better." Kari smiled and then stopped. "Oh! Wait, I have a present for you."

"What, you do?" Chris stopped.

Kari stood to face him, "It's a year since we've met, and I got something to commemorate the occasion."

"Ah, and the concert too?"

"Yup. Now close your eyes." Kari smiled and Chris obeyed, he felt something go around his neck. "There. Alright, you can open!"

"Hm?" Chris looked around himself and then noticed a small gold chain with something on it. "What's this?" He picked it up. "A locket?" He blinked and opened it, seeing a picture of himself and one of Kari.

"Remember those shots? When the WWE first came to LA I took you around town. The paparazzi saw you on the strip so I pushed you into a photo booth to hide. And remember my brother? I guess he put a dollar of quarters in the machine because it took pictures."

"Huh?" Chris blinked, starting to remember.

"He gave them to me when I went home that night and I've hung onto them ever since." She giggled. "It was a fun time, and so I thought, well I dunno, maybe…" She didn't want to sound too sappy or emotional.

"This is dumb." Chris cut her off. "Lockets are for girls! I'm not wearing this!"

"You'd better!" Kari growled back, another of their many silly arguments. "It means a lot, it's a present!"

"So what." Chris turned his back.

Kari frowned and stomped her foot, "Oh fine, whatever. Let's just go back and get some rest."

"Yeah, yeah, right." Chris walked off. Kari watched him go and followed behind, thinking about the day they had spent almost a year ago together in LA…

_You've thought of all there is, but not enough, and it loses you in a cloud._

"Come on, don't be such a tourist!" Kari had called out to Chris as he looked through all the windows of the stores.

"Hey, check this one out!" He pointed in a sports memorabilia shop.

"Chris…" Kari sighed with her arms folded, he was acting like such a child.

"Hey yoh, what up bitch?" A gangster called out to Kari as he walked with some of his homies.

"What did he just call you?" Chris snarled and turned around with fists only to see that they had gone. "Huh?" He turned to Kari.

She sighed, frowning, "Oh grow up. You act like you've never seen street punks before." She sighed and walked off. "Chill out, I knew them, they're cool."

"No, they're criminals."

"You really are naive." Kari rolled her eyes and led him on down Sunset. "Hey, there's George!" She waved to her younger brother, seeing him coming out of one of the shops with some of his friends.

"Hey, he's a wrestler!" One cried.

"It's Chris Jericho, look!" Another pointed.

"Oh no." Chris gasped to see a flock of paparazzi heading towards them.

"RUN!" Kari wailed as they turned a corner. "In here, hide!" She shoved him in a photo booth and heard them run past. Kari looked out, "Whew, that was a close one."

"We should stay in here for a few minutes until the heat dies down."

"Right." Kari fidgeted. "Kinda tight though." They squirmed around and growled at each other.

George found them, not that they were hiding quietly, and put money into the machine, "Might as well make some memories."

"Ah, what was that!" Chris gasped at a flash.

"Paparazzi!" Kari looked around. "No it's the machine, it's going off."

"I'll kill it!" Chris roared, his heart racing as he went to pound on the camera lens.

"No you idiot, you'll break it!" Kari grabbed onto him.

"I don't care, I'm rich, I'll pay for it!"

"You're an idiot, is what you are… and you're not rich!" Kari cried out as they wrestled, and the machine caused attention from passers by.

"Oh brother…" George sighed and the pictures printed. He pulled them off, the first of Kari and Chris looking at each other in close conversation, the other of Chris jumping up and Kari gasping, the next of Kari holding back Chris, and the last of Kari hitting Chris and him falling down out of the frame. "So much for good, happy times in LA together…"

'We may fight, but the more we fight the better friends we get. And come to think of it, even now…' Kari thought to herself as they walked side by side in the night. 'Nothing has really changed, only, we have gotten closer I guess.' She walked closer to him and he put his arm on her. She smiled contently, 'That makes me happy, and I guess I couldn't want it more any other way.'

_There… there most everything is nothing that it seems, where… where you see the things you only want to see._

In Canada…

"Where is he?" Edge was banging on the door of the dark house.

"Why isn't he here?" Christian looked through a lightless, curtain covered window.

"Knowing him, he must've ditched us."

"Darn that Dean Malenko, I'll bet he ran off to Florida or something." Christian kicked the dirt.

"Yeah, the Florida Keys." Edge turned and walked off.

Christian followed, while singing, "Aruba, Jamaica, OH I wanna take ya. Bermuda, Bahamas, come on pretty mama…"

"So much for my plans." Edge sighed, rolling his eyes.

Elsewhere in Canada, sorrow amid the facade of happiness…

_I'd fly away, to a higher plane. To say words I resist, to float away. To sigh, to breathe, forget._

"Shane…" Trish knew exactly where to find him, they'd had an apartment in Toronto not too far from the old Canada branch HQ of the WWE. Sure enough, with his memories returning, Shane stood waiting there outside the vacant building, waiting for her. Trish stepped forwards towards him, "It's been a while."

"Trish…" Shane's voice was quiet, back to his normal tone, but his new past had changed him. Now that he could remember everything that was erased, but also remember everything he'd done while a puppet, he didn't know what to say or even do. "I… I…"

"Shh, please." Trish embraced him tightly. "It doesn't matter, you don't have to say anything. I understand. You don't have to hurt anymore, now is a time for healing. We have the whole world to be together now, and I won't loose you again."

"Trish…" Shane choked, tears in his eyes. "I don't know what to do, I'm so, so, sorry, but I… I still, I just…"

"Come on, come to my place. We have a lot of talking to make up for. Just know that I still love you. I always have and I never stopped." Trish paused in her thoughts, Christian flashing through her mind for a moment. Her eyes shook as she held Shane closed.

"Ah, ow." Shane cringed, snapping Trish out of the movie moment. "Oh…" Shane groaned as Trish noticed where she had put her hand on his head there was a large bump, almost as if somebody had injured him and he was hurt. But she thought it was strange, something about it, something about Shane, just did not feel quite right.

_And heaven's not enough, if when I'm there I don't remember you. And heaven does enough, you think you know it, and it uses you._

That night…

'Shane is having such a hard time, he's going through so much.' Trish sat watching Shane sleep, it was very dim in the bedroom with only the lights from outside pouring in through the window. She sighed sadly, 'There is so much I want to talk to him, but I don't want to say or tell him anything yet because he's dealing with all of the memories he's recovering on his own. I don't want to do anything that would hurt him anymore.' She looked very worried as she hid back the tears, 'I want to help him, I want him to be free, if this is something so wonderful, why am I not happy?' There was a loud knock at the door that caused her to cry out and wake Shane.

"What's that?" He asked groggily.

"Somebody at the door." Trish stood up, still a bit shaky.

"It's late, don't answer it." He laid back down.

"No, it is late but it might be an emergency." Trish jumped out of bed. She went to the door but saw nobody through the hole, and with a deep breath of courage she opened it and looked around. "Huh, nobody there…"

"Ah! Trish!" Shane called from the bedroom.

"Shane!" Trish ran back and saw Victoria come in through their window with Melina.

"Give us the key." She demanded in a low voice.

"What key…?" Shane asked, confused and a bit afraid from the shock.

"Give it to me!" Melina jumped at him and reached under his vest pocket, pulling out the key.

"That key…" Shane could barely remember, he had honestly forgotten about it, it had been so long since Victoria had given it to him. He sighed sadly, feeling unconsciously used again at the memory of Victoria and Melina working under Him.

"Thanks, have a nice life." Victoria replied smugly and they left. Trish jumped over and shut the window, the curtains draping back down from the gust of breeze.

She sighed and sat down on the bed, "What was that all about…?"

"That key…" Shane struggled to remember. "What is that key…?"

"Don't worry about it, it doesn't involve you anymore. You should be glad, you're finally free. You can live your life and do what you want to do." She held him closely from behind, putting her forehead on his shoulder as he cringed from other bruises on his body. Trish sighed and returned to her sad thoughts again, 'If Shane is truly free, why is this not so much heaven as it should be? Why is he hurting? Is He really gone?'

_I saw so many things, but like a dream. Always losing me, in a cloud._

Many things going on at the same time…

Christian couldn't sleep either, his arm hadn't hurt since His defeat. Edge would always tell him when they trained in their younger days, pain is your body's way of letting you know you're still alive, it's the body's way of telling you that you're making progress, getting stronger, tougher and faster. Christian felt as if his arm was completely healed, and at the same time, also almost like it were dead. The only pain that was left, was the one in his heart. He let out a deep breath in sigh as he pulled out his wallet and looked at the picture of Trish he held in it. He wanted her to be happy, so did that mean he had to let her go?

_Cause I couldn't cry. Cause I turned away. Couldn't see the score. Didn't know the pain, of leaving yesterday, really far behind._

_In another life. In another dream. By a different name. Gave it all away, for a memory, and a quiet lie._

_And I felt the face, of a cold tonight, still don't know the score. But I know the pain, of leaving everything, really far behind._

_And if I could cry, and if I could live, what truth I did then take me there… Heaven goodbye._


	2. 2 of 2

Christian was with Edge, who was looking for Dean Malenko, and so he was most of the time left alone. Trish Stratus sat with Boomerang sleeping on her lap, next to her was Shane McMahon. It pained her to watch him, she was so close to him and yet so far, like feeling warmth dissipating in the frigid cold. She felt so alone. Linda McMahon was sleeping in her hotel room. Ash wasn't used to being with only one person, he loved to be with a group of friends. He sat awake and looking out the window, he felt so alone. Kari Ketchum was living her dream, wrestling for the WWE and spending her time with her crush, and yet she wasn't happy. Chris Jericho was free now to do as he pleased and go after his title, his dream. He wanted to spend his time searching and trying to win back his love, his dream girl, Stephanie McMahon, who wouldn't give him the time of day, shunning and ignoring him. She was next to him, in the WWE, she should be happy and yet she was feeling completely alone. And solitude and sorrow leaves people time to think.

"Freedom, freedom…" Lillian Garcia whispered with a sort of greedy excitement to herself as the door became unlocked and opened. She almost jumped back at the light that spilled it but slowly stepped out to savor the moment, "Darn Him, locking me up like that in there is almost inhumane."

"Almost?" Victoria frowned.

"But now, I am finally free."

"Free…"

"I may have been under His mind control, but when he locked me away my mind became free. Freedom my body too yearned for, and now that I have it, I shall grant you your true desire."

"My true desire…?"

"You too are like me, in a yearning for freedom. He may be gone, but you are still his prisoner, are you not?"

Victoria's eyes shook as Melina turned to her, "Ignore her, we're letting her go, she is no more us to us."

"My true desire…"

"It is freedom, is it not?" Lillian made a sly face, the once beautiful singer had become cruel and a bit hateful towards the resenting world in her dark confinement. "Help me, help me to help yourself. I am the only one who can help you."

"Victoria…" Melina growled quietly.

"Maybe, maybe you are. Maybe, you can."

"Ugh." Melina rolled her eyes, hearing the hope and agreement in Victoria's voice. "Oh great."

That next day…

"Maybe there's something I can do, if I go back to His place, maybe there is something there that can help me help Shane." Trish was determined to help heal her love, the now quiet McMahon son was following her like a sullen puppy, holding the Abyssinian wildcat in his arms. "I can't give up, there has to be a way, there must be an answer."

"Why the hell would Dean Malenko be here?" Christian was asking Edge, who led him through the hotel where the McMahon family held their own private rooms on reserve for clients in business meetings to stay, to hold small gatherings, or well, uh, other private get together. Christian looked around the street as he stood outside, "I find it odd that they even have rooms on reserve when they have their HQ just d own the street." He looked across the street and saw the bar where Kari and Chris had met. He sighed, feeling nostalgic, "Our old hang out…"

"What in the world…!?" A female's voice gasp, a familiar female.

"Huh?" Christian turned and gasped as he realized his ears weren't playing tricks on him. "Oh my gosh!"

"Christian, why are…" Trish blinked, utterly confused to find him where she was going.

"Oh Trish!" Christian cried out without realizing it and embraced her tightly, Shane lagging too far behind to be in his view or even to notice them. "I missed you so much, how are you, how've you been!?"

"Oh, uh, err… um…" Trish was blushing like she had a fatally high fever but then she froze when Christian started to grope her. "Oh, get a room!" She shoved him off and slugged him in the shoulder of his bad arm.

"Well, we are in front of a hotel." He hinted, wagging his eyebrows at her.

"Ugh…" She rolled her eyes, Shane finally coming up into their view.

"Oh, hello." He noticed them.

"Hey, it's Trish and Shane! What are you going here, how are you?" Edge asked happily as he came out of the hotel and ran down the stairs to greet them.

"Hi Edge." Trish motioned towards him, but went back to Christian. "So what are you two doing here anyway?"

"Could ask you the same thing." Christian replied.

"I want some answers, there's so much left undone, uncovered and unexplained through all of this. I need to look more into this whole thing with, and I'm not asking that you understand."

"No, but I do. It's just a feeling, but, it's an unsettling one."

"Then you can feel it too, something just feels wrong." She spoke quietly with sorrow as she added, "There has to be something left undone, I need to help Shane."

Christian sighed and glanced back at Edge and Shane, who were staring at the duo in a bit of shock and confusion, he turned back to Trish, "Just stay with me, us, you two stay with us. There is something wrong, something left undone that has to do with Him. It's why Shane hasn't returned to normal all the way. It's why my arm is still killing me like a sixth sense when the weather changes."

"Then do you think, we should get…"

"Chris and Kari?" Christian finished Trish's thought.

"Yes." She nodded. "We're always such a great team together, it would feel weird, and almost a little wrong to just, go on without them. We're all such great detectives."

He sighed, "No, we came here on our own. If this had something to do with them, they would've already been here by now."

"Yeah, that's true." She chuckled slightly. "You know them."

"Yeah." He sighed. "I miss them…" Trish did too.

Down the street, at HQ…

"Kari!" Ash roared as he jumped up and came flying into her arms.

"Aw, Ash, how did you miss me already?" She laughed.

"Well didn't you miss me?" He asked with wide eyes.

"Of course I did." She hugged him.

"Feh." Chris rolled his eyes.

"So, what is all of this about then?" Linda asked and Chris turned his attention to her, she could tell by his eyes, and spoke in a low tone. "It's about Him, isn't it."

"Yup." He nodded.

"I can feel it too, I'm not surprised that you can, and I'm sure the others can sense it as well." Linda spoke up, causing Ash and Kari to turn to her.

"I don't know what it is we're sensing, but it's definitely Him. But I don't know how, is he not gone?" Chris growled to himself.

"So then maybe something is wrong." Kari was worried as well.

"What do you think we should do?" Ash asked.

"I'll tell you where you should go, back to the hotel." Linda spoke up.

"Aw…" Ash groaned.

"No, she's serious. She means all of us." Kari spoke up, causing Ash to look back up at her.

"Yeah, she's right. Something tells me, there's somebody there, someone that knows something about Him, that he's not really gone, maybe he's just hiding, recovering, biding his time." Chris lowered his eyes. "And we might not have much time left…"

"Oh…" Ash shivered, he didn't like the sound of that. None of them did.

At the hotel…

"This is the room." A muffled voice was heard outside of a door as it clicked and opened, revealing a dark hotel room on the other side. Christian turned on the light, "No, it's empty."

"Oh, I thought as much." Trish sighed as she walked in and looked around. "It looks like just an ordinary room, but, it also looks like nobody has been here for some time."

"I don't see why Dean Malenko would be here." Edge muttered to himself.

"Would you get off that? If you want to find Dean, then go to Florida yourself." Christian growled.

"But they said he came to have a meeting with the McMahon's." Edge protested.

"They said…" Trish wondered who he meant by 'they'.

"The McMahon's?" Shane finally spoke up after being quiet the whole time, causing everyone to glance back at him. "It could only be my mother."

"That's true." Edge pulled out his cell phone and dialed Linda. After a few rings, she answered. "Hey Linda, it's Edge. Great, how are you? Awesome… anyway, did you talk to Dean the other day? ... Malenko. No? Huh, that's odd. …no, no, it's alright. Yeah, everything's great. …oh, we're at the hotel down the street, sorry I didn't come in person. …Oh? Oh no…. you don't say." Edge wandered over to the window, the others watching in perk of the conversation. "Alright, okay. Yeah, sure. That's fine. Uh huh. You too." He shut his cell phone and turned to his friends. "Well, two things. First, she not only hasn't talked to Dean in the past few days, but he hasn't called her in weeks. So I have no idea who he talked to."

"That is odd, Dean is a very smart guy." Trish was getting worried again.

"Why would he do this to me?" Edge whined as became depressed, Christian just groaned and rolled his eyes as he muttered to himself, amazed at how cowardly his counterpart could be.

Trish just continued, "And secondly, we should have company any minute."

"Company?" Christian looked up.

"This is the hotel!" Ash ran up the stairs, Kari going after him.

"Great, I know, so let's go inside." Chris followed them inside. He looked around and found the elevator, "It's towards t he top, and it's a tall building, we can't really take the stairs." The door opened and he went inside, Kari and Ash followed and the door closed. "It's on floor 25, there are 26 floors including the top."

"The most ritzy must stay at the top floor." Kari began to think. "I wonder whose richer than the McMahon family…?"

"Stay focused." Chris growled.

"Uh, guys…?"

"Yeah?" Kari looked down at Ash, who seemed to be growing a bit concerned.

"It didn't stop at our floor."

"What?" Kari looked up to see the 26 light up and then the R as it stopped and dinged, the door opening. "What in the world…?"

"What happened?" Chris stepped out, the other two following as the door closed, causing Ash to cry out and hug onto Kari in fear. Chris growled, "What's going on here."

"Welcome, I've been expecting you." The blonde smiled slyly.

"Lillian!?" Kari's jaw dropped in shock, she hadn't seen her since she kidnapped her and Stephanie all that time ago.

"What do you want, why are you here?" Chris growled, he didn't like how everything was adding together thus far.

"Chris, calm yourself. I just came for some friendly, idle chatter. But enough banter, I'll cut to the chase and make my point. Chris, I know what you want, and I can help you get it."

"Huh?" Kari blinked, confused.

"What are you talking about Lillian." Chris lowered his eyes, still full of rage from the last time he had seen her.

"I know your true desire, for ultimate power. You yearn for the strength that lies hidden within you, and you know that if you tap into that, then you will be able to become the strongest wrestler in the company and down Triple H, taking his title. Then with that, you will be able to become truly happy… when you and Stephanie are together."

"Huh…" Kari froze and turned to Chris, she could see the emotions conflicting within him. She could feel it in his eyes, she could tell the kind heart often kept inside, holding Stephanie McMahon's loving memory of their past, and also behind his eyes was his mind that staid focused on the title, the power of his soul was flowing in his muscles under his skin, almost like a raging battle flashing behind his beautiful blue eyes. "Chris…"

"You, you have no right." Chris was obviously taken off guard. "Who are you to say what I want when you don't even know me?"

"But I can help you, isn't knowing what you want enough?"

"No, it isn't!" Kari finally took a stand.

"Hmm?" Lillian finally turned her attention to her.

"You can't threaten us, you aren't even a wrestler. I may just be some new kid on the block, but even I can take you out!"

"Really?" Lillian's eyes sparkled as the smile returned to her face. "I'll care to demonstrate what I can do." She took a step back, reaching behind her as the duo watched her carefully. "Watch out Ash!" She yelled loudly and threw a handful of papers to distract them.

"Ah!" Ash dove for cover even though she had thrown them aside randomly.

"Huh?" Chris looked up and was hit full force with Lillian herself. "Whoa!" He gasped out as the wind was knocked from him, he fell against a large metal box situated on the roof, containing an air generator inside of it. "Oh, ugh…" He groaned, sitting on top of it after the lunge.

"Chris, are you alright?" Kari asked, coming to him as Lillian jumped back and cart wheeled back to her original position.

"Uh, just my pride." Chris shook his head but winced, the fall back had caused the edge to ram into his back, and it was starting to hurt.

"How dare you, cheap shot. That's not power, that's just manipulation." Kari growled.

"Call it what you want, but whatever works is fine by me. And now it's your turn, little kid."

"I'm not a little kid!" Kari roared.

"Kari, just let it go, I can take her." Chris growled, his back was stiff from the sharp pain as he finally caught his breath.

"No, I still can't forgive her." She furrowed with focus. "Not after last time. I have something I can hurt you with." She pulled down her small backpack she had been carrying over her shoulder, inside of it was a microphone. It was a real one but Ash loved to play with it, not plugged in of course, but it was the heaviest and biggest object Kari had around her that she could use as a weapon. "I will make you hurt, the same way you hurt us."

"Words…" Lillian shrugged meekly, steadfast.

"Don't, she's agile!" Ash warned. "A mic won't phase her!"

"I guarantee it won't fail!" Kari took a leap forward and curled her arm forward, pitching a fastball of the microphone straight at Lillian. "Go!"

"Oh please." Lillian yawned and just slightly moved at the last moment to have it miss her and roll on the ground.

"She can't be that fast." Kari gasped.

"So I guess now it's my turn then…" Lillian gracefully bent down as the microphone rolled up against her foot. She stood up slowly and stared a hole right through Kari. "Batters up." She held the microphone tightly, her arm loose. As a beautiful singer, a microphone was like an extension of her body. She threw it, curved with great aim.

"Look out!" Ash cried out.

"Oh no." Kari gasped, as the world seemed to freeze, realizing that it wasn't she that Lillian was aiming at, it was the temporarily incapacitated Chris. "Move it!" Kari whirled around quickly, and as if in slow motion.

"Kari!" Chris gasped, helplessly realizing what she was doing as she jumped to shove him down right as the microphone hit her hard and squarely on the spine, right below her neck and between the shoulder blades. "Ah!" She cried out, frozen on top of Chris.

Lillian gasped but then frowned, "Oh drat, she's better than I thought…"

"Kari!" Chris cried out as her limp body fell onto him.

"Are you, alright… Chris?" She struggled as her eyes fluttered.

"You fool, why would you do something so stupid?"

"You always do dumb things to save me, so what, I can't be an idiot, just, once…?" Kari felt the world start to go black.

"No Kari, Kari!" He reached out as she fell like a dead weight off of him.

"I'll take that." Lillian had rushed up and caught her as she fell, whisking her away from Chris as she jumped back. "Luckily she's just some little kid, I'll hold her as ransom and wait for you. At 'you know whos' place."

"You know who…." Chris was blank, then growled. "You don't mean…" So he was still around!?

"Oh don't worry, it's not what you think. He's finally gone and I can be free to do as I please. It's my time. And as my first act of freedom, I have something you want, and you have something I want."

"What do you want." Chris growled.

"Why don't you come and find out!" She laughed and ran off.

"No, wait come back!" Chris groaned as he jumped off the box and stood up.

"Man." Ash came out of hiding. "Who knew that she could be so…"

"Ash…!"

"Huh?" He looked up, cut off from thought.

"I want you to go back to Linda, she has to know what's going on and I don't want you to get hurt."

"Yeah, or in the way." Ash knew what he really meant. "Fat chance! I care about Kari, I miss you guys, I'm not going away now. I'm sticking with you, you can't make me leave!"

"Uh… Ash…" Chris sighed. "Oh alright, guess there is no use arguing with you, child."

"Yah!" Ash cheered, Chris smirked but then frowned to himself as he began to think.

The elevator dinged and opened, "I don't know, I'm just telling you I heard a commotion up here. Do you think…" Trish stepped out and gasped.

Chris gasped, "I don't believe it!"

"Chris!?" Christian gasped as he approached him. "Is it really you?"

"Hey!" Chris cried as Christian pulled on his hair and pulled his cheeks apart. "Ah! Cut it out!" He snarled, punching Christian.

"Ow, oh yeah, it's you alright." He laughed.

"Ash!" Trish hugged him and then stood up. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Long story short, Lillian attacked us and kidnapped Kari. I don't know exactly what is going on, yet, but I know where we have to go."

"Hmm, I thought as much." Edge began to pace.

"What are you doing here?" Chris asked.

"Is that really important?" Edge got a blank stare so he sighed and shook his hands to clear the air. "Look that doesn't matter right now, the point is, something is going on, and it all has to do with you know who."

"Yeah." Trish nodded. "And I don't like it."

"Well come on, don't just stand around her talking! We can catch up later. I have to save her, now, so let's go already!" Chris ran into the elevator, the others following him.

'I have to hurry and find her.' Chris thought to himself, willing on as he ran. 'I know where she is.' In his mind memories of the moments in the spa with Kari started to flash on and off, her warm smiling face, she was always happy around him or putting on a tough front to never let her problems harm him or ruin his day. 'Kari, how could I just let you do that, be so helpless as you did what I should've done.' He winced his eyes shut. 'I don't need you to fight my battles for me!' He remembered the pained look on her face after she took the blow from Lillian's attack and how she continued to care for him and give him that same smile. Chris felt his lungs start to sting as he panted on, "I have to get revenge for that, you're just a kid, you're just a little girl out living your dream and I dragged you into my business." He remembered how many times he had just run off and left Kari alone to go out and look for Steph, but she was so loyal and cared for him so much she would always be there waiting for him. "You deserve more than you have, you're just the best. You deserve much better than me…"

"Chris, wait up." Trish called as they lagged behind. "Slow down!"

Chris did and they caught up, "Sorry, I guess I'm just getting carried away."

"It's alright, we understand." Christian smiled.

"You must really care about her, I can tell." Edge chimed in.

Chris made a face at him, "You're not even part of the group, don't act like you know me."

"But I do." Edge winked.

Chris grimaced and shoved him on the shoulder, "Get off it…" He ran ahead.

Edge chuckled, "In fact, knowing you, I don't know how she can put up with it."

"LOOK OUT!"

"Huh?" Chris was off in his own thoughts again and didn't see the cart push around the corner on the sidewalk ahead. "AH!"

"EEK!" Crash!

"Ugh, oh…" Chris rubbed his head, landing on top of the cart, scattering items.

"Oh no." The cart's pusher sighed sadly, sitting on her bottom after the blast.

"Here, let me help you." Shane spoke quietly as he went over to help pick up the items.

"Uh…" Chris shook his head and opened his eyes. "You alright?"

"I should be asking you that." The lady stood up, feeling terrible.

"It's my fault, I'm sorry." Chris groaned as he got off to survey the damage.

"It's not that bad, more a mess than anything broken. Don't worry about it." She smiled at him, it was a smile that reminded Chris of Kari again, her warm glow. "Oh no, but you're hurt." She noticed blood from cuts on his face and arms.

"Oh, no that, it's nothing, really." Chris shrugged it off, in fact some had been from his earlier encounter with Lillian.

"Here, this is the least I could do." She pulled out a first aid kit from her cart and put some bandages on him. "Oh." She paused, noticing a small gold chain poking out over his collar. Curious, she pulled it out and saw a gold heart shaped locket. "Aw."

"Oh, ahem." Chris blushed and stepped back. "Thanks for the help, but I apologize, I really am in a hurry." Chris bowed his head and took off again, the others hesitant upon the moment but followed after him. He looked ahead, "There it is." They had finally reached their destination. He stood before it as the others came behind him and looked up. "Even though He is gone, I can still feel Him here. His scent, aura, is just wafting around it. I hate Him so much."

"Let's go inside." Shane began up the stairs. Trish watched him sadly, he still seemed to be fighting inside of him.

"She is in there." Chris growled.

"Kari, or Lillian?" Trish asked.

"Both." He snarled, after all of this mess through all this time, now it had become really personal. He stood tall as the wind kicked up gracefully at his hair, his eyes held a fire inside, poised on pins ends as he held back the desire to leap up and break down the door. But rather instead, he just slowly took his striding steps as he led them inside.

Inside…

"Ugh, oh my back…" Kari groaned as she finally became conscious, standing with her hands tied behind her back around a fancy pillar in a very familiar office room. "Here… But what, how…"

"So, you're awake. Pity." Lillian sneered.

"Oh yeah that's right, it's you." Kari frowned. "He is gone, why are you still living in his vendettas?"

"This is my own personal agenda, it has nothing to do with Him. It's thanks to the likes of Him though that I had to make this happen. He may be gone yes, but in a way this really is all His doing."

"Lillian, what is it that you want…?" Kari asked.

"You will know soon enough, I don't have to explain myself to the likes of you, a mere, meek little child who knows nothing of the world of or this business."

"I'm not little!" She growled, pulling on the tie, trying hard to break free.

"They should be here any time now…" As Lillian turned to the door, it burst down as Chris leapt in, no longer able to contain the fighting animal instincts quelled up inside a bottle.

"Chris!"

"Kari!" Chris gasped, thankful that she was alright.

"Hey, that was rude, you didn't have to break it. You could've knocked, I left it open."

"Sorry, in my rage I just had to destroy something to help get it out. I really hate hitting girls, but, you're no lady." Chris snarled at her.

"Such harmful, hurtful words." Lillian chuckled to herself.

"Kari, she's alright." Trish noticed as she and Christian came through the doorway, they left Edge down at the bottom to be a look out.

"Ah, my arm!" Christian began to sink to one knee.

"What is it?" Ash asked.

"I don't know, maybe after everything lately that's gone on, or maybe it's just coming back here, but it's really hurting bad!" He held it tightly.

"Even after He is gone, He still continues to influence our lives." Trish growled, thinking of Shane as she spoke. Suddenly her cat began to growl as its fur bristled. "Huh, what is it girl?" She'd been quiet all this time but something about this room seemed ominous. From hiding, Victoria and Melina watched, even they could sense something was about to happen, and they didn't even know what all was going on.

"Take this!"

"Huh?" Trish gasped, looking up.

"Watch out!" A quiet voice shouted as Shane stood up, a glass beaker bursting onto him. "Ah!"

"Shane!" Trish cried out, hugging him tightly. "Are you alright?" She rubbed the shards of glass off of him, rubbing over that same bump again. She was worried, it was still there. It wasn't healing, was he not healing?

"What happened!?" Ash looked around confused.

"Leave my friends out of this, it's me you want." Chris stepped up.

"Very well." She pulled out another one. "He was saving this just for you, his strongest and most potent. I was lucky enough to find and take it to use myself. Let's see just how tough you are now!" She threw it at him.

"Chris watch out!" Kari cried, but Chris wasn't afraid of some trick and it exploded onto him, the clear liquid landing on him as it entered his body quickly and began to take effect.

"Uh… ugh, urr, err… grrrrr…" Chris's face began to get dark as he felt himself being pulled away from the bright reality of the world.

"Oh no, it's more of that brain washing mind control drug!" Christian gasped.

"Rah." Chris roared violently as he went completely blank and became almost like some kind of feral wild beast, the body no longer harboring Chris's soul.

"Chris no!" In that instant, Kari broke free finding the strength within her heart as she jumped over and rushed towards Chris. "Come on, fight it, you have to break free!"

"Don't do it, he doesn't even know who he is anymore!" Ash cried.

"I have to make him remember." Kari turned back to Chris, hugging him and looking in his dull eyes. "Come on, this isn't you, you know that better than anyone."

'Kari…' In a pitch black sea of darkness, Chris's spirit seemed to be almost floating lost in a purgatory. 'What's going on, where am I? I can't see, I can't hear, I can't feel, I can't sense anything else around me anymore. Am I, did I…'

"Kari…!" Christian cried as Chris began to growl and roar and lash around in Kari's arms.

"Huh…?" Kari went pale and froze as the unresponsive Chris wore a cruel smirk on his face, flexing like he was on steroids as the seemingly plausible killing machine reached his arms back and shot them forward, his fists clamming deep within Kari's shoulders. "AH!" She screamed in pain as he hurt her. "Come on Chris." Her eyes were squinting out tears of pain. "Fight, it…."

'Kari? Kari… Kari.' From far off in Chris's mind, from out of the darkness bits of light shape shards came falling and flying from out of nowhere, until finally a blinding and blurry light revealed Kari running towards him from far away. 'Kari, Kari!' She was running but getting further and further away, he could see her reach out and call his name but he couldn't hear her voice, and the farther back she drew, the colder it got, and it made it harder for him to breathe. His throat tightened shut and it became hard to keep conscious in the pitch black surrounding.

"Chris!" Christian called out, trying to snap him back into this world.

"I can't let this happen, I can't let him turn out just like…" Trish turned to Shane who was struggling in his own battle.

"AHH!" Chris roared, lashing and shaking Kari around in his grip.

Kari looked up at him, the tears in her eyes no longer of physical pain, but of emotional sorrow, "Chris." What could she do, how could she free him and bring him back. She loved him to much to watch, she was helpless but didn't want to let him go. There were tears behind her hazel eyes. "What can I do for you, I'm just a little girl, I'm not strong, I can't fight your battles, all I can do for you, is… all, I can do…." She closed her eyes slightly and drew herself slowly closer to Chris's body as he growled back at her until finally her face met his, she closed her eyes, and kissed him.

"Wha….!" The other gasped in shock, Ash turning red as Trish and Christian looked away.

'Chris….' Kari froze in her mind, her body up against his, her lips kissing him. 'Please don't change, I don't want you to become stronger if this is what it means, I don't want to loose you. Can't you see that Chris, I want you to be happy… I want to be with you…!'

'Kari…' Chris had also frozen in shock, behind his blank stare in the back of his eyes, he could see her up close and clearly next to him, she looked sad as her hair blew in the wind of the falling shard shaped lights that began to flow more and more across his pan of vision.

"What is this!?" Lillian gasped as Chris broke free. "No!"

His face returned to normal and his eyes left the darkness and the light of this world returned as he looked down and saw Kari, his expression changed from that of pain and rage to a calming soothe of contentment as he shut his eyes and pushed his lips onto Kari's into a fully fledge kissed, a real kiss, a kiss of passion, and of love. Kari's first kiss. And it was with him, the man she loved, Chris Jericho.

"Kari." Chris finally spoke, breaking away as he brought her in to a very tight hug, holding her closely in his arms up against his heart. "I'll stay the same, I won't change who I am. I'll do it for you, I just want you to be happy. I'll keep things the same, I won't change a thing, not for a while, so that way I can be with you, even if it is for just a little while longer." Kari nodded and closed her eyes, relaxing in his embrace. Everyone let out a sigh of relief as things had returned back to normal, well, almost to normal…

"AH!" Lillian cried with rage as everyone left the happy moment and returned to the reality they had to realize. As Chris and Kari enjoyed the embrace together, almost seeming as if the world around them didn't exist, and Lillian was kind enough to snap them back to reality, "You fools, you haven't won yet!" She laughed.

Chris growled as he opened his eyes, "Right, now it's time to deal with her." He let go of Kari and went to step forward but gasped and froze as shards of red light seemed to flash and fly around him, only now he realized that this hallucination was a result of the drug he had been infected with. "Damn." He shook his head.

"Chris, what is it?" Kari reached out to him.

"My head." He rubbed his eyes. "It's an effect from that brain washing drug of theirs, my vision, my head is hot and fuzzy, I don't think I can do battle like this and win."

"No, not in the condition that you're in." Kari frowned and stepped forward.

"Hey, no, whoa, whoa wait, hang on a sec." Chris reached out and quickly grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back. She turned to face him sternly as he continued, "I'm not going to have you go out there and fight for me. This is my match, not yours."

"You're wrong." Kari leered back around at the waiting Lillian. "This IS my battle, and I can fight for whoever I want. And besides." She turned around, smirking. "It's not in your nature to hit a girl, now is it?"

Chris paused and then chuckled, smirking back, "No I suppose not. But, just please promise me you'll be careful."

"Please, I'm more of a diva than her, and she knows she can't beat me." She stepped forward and faced Lillian, holding her ground. "The real question is how she thinks she could face you."

"I don't have to explain myself to you." Lillian sneered. "But, since I like to hear myself talk about myself, I'll hint you in on my little plan."

"Seeing as it was a failure." Christian commented to himself, although thrilled to see a cat fight at hand.

"I was going to use Chris to make my dreams come true, with his heart, soul and moral views aside, thanks to that brainwashing drug, his real power would be realized and he would be unstoppable. I've always been a fan of Linda, and in more way than one, I wanted to be like her. So once I get to the top, then I really would be like her! Chris would be the champion, just like he always dreamed, everyone would be happy. That is the freedom of the mind."

"Freedom…" Victoria sighed, realizing now that if Lillian had succeeded, then her dream would've come true as well, and now with the way of things looking, that may never be. "Even if He is gone, I'm still trapped under his control…" Melina stood next to her, watching the battle.

"That doesn't make any sense." Ash turned up his nose at Lillian's ploy.

"You're wrong." Chris growled quietly. "That is nothing that I ever wanted. If I did want to be a champion, it was to win as myself, who I am. I wouldn't change a thing about me, if it meant I'd have to throw it all away and sell my soul. I could never hurt a friend for personal gain." But that is where the drug would've come in. Chris was too pure to do anything like that on his own, but Lillian knew he was the perfect fit for her plan.

"That is a stupid plot." Kari laughed. "Chris would never do that, I know him and more importantly he knows himself. You're drug may brainwash people, but it can't change who they are in their heart, mind, body and soul. Nothing is stronger than the value of a person and it's their morals that make them who they are." She got into a stance. "And maybe that's something words can't explain to you, so I'll let my fists do the talking."

"No more stalling." Lillian sneered, her eyes flashed. "Alright then, it's time to fight!" She got ready to jump up and attack.

"AH!"

"Huh?" Trish turned to the one who screamed to see Shane in horrible pain. "Shane, what is it!?" She cried out, holding onto him as he shivered.

"Ugh, oh." Christian began to feel very weak. "It's, my… arm!"

"His arm?" Victoria blinked to herself, then gasped, her heart skipping a beat as her eyes went wide. She could sense it. "No… NO!" Tears filled her dulling eyes.

"It's not over." Melina spoke quietly.

"Chris…." Kari's voice quivered, through the year spent together and the many months they'd spent fighting and tracking Him down, each had developed their own sixth sense to sensing his presence, and now every single one of them was going off.

Chris's throat went dry, "It can't be…"

"Oh, but it is." From out of the darkness behind Lillian the voice became the man Himself.

"Y…. you…. But…!" Lillian stammered, shaking terribly with fear.

"I'm dead?" He wore that same cruel smile. "I know you are…"

"AH…!" Lillian froze, her face reading an expression of pain.

"But what am I…?" He watched as she collapsed into a limp heap on the ground. He stepped over her to face the true foes of his wake. "And now, for you."

"AH!" Shane screamed in pain and then fell to his knees.

"Shane!" Trish cried, then whirled around to face Him. "No…. What do we do now? He's, unbeatable!" Trish shook, frozen in shock.

"Trish behind you!" Christian called out.

"Huh?" She turned just in time to dodge the blow. "Whoa!" She jumped back and stood up, her eyes full of angst and sorrow. "Shane, no… you've gone back." Her heart sank as she saw the once again amnesiac Shane attacking her under command of their same old enemy.

"Trish, get out of there!" Ash cried and Trish jumped back and flipped away from Shane who stayed standing near Him.

"I'm sick of this, I think we've had enough of YOU!" Kari roared, pointing a finger dead ahead.

"Hey, I think that's my line." Chris stood next to her, facing Him.

"Please, you can't beat me. So why bother trying. My job is finished, I have no need to face you now." He turned to go back off into the darkness, Shane following him.

"Oh no you don't!" Chris rushed after him. "You coward!" He jumped up to attack him but the door slammed shut and locked. "Come on." Chris struggled to open it. "Come back here!"

"Chris, it's over… He's gone." Kari approached him.

Chris sighed, "It's never over. He will never be gone…" The others signed, knowing exactly what he meant.

Christian finally spoke up, "Let's just go back home. We have to tell Linda and the others. It was just one of His plans, His many cruel tricks." Crestfallen, everyone stood up and took a moment to breathe and recover before leaving His room.

Later…

"So that's it then." Linda sighed as she sat behind her desk, her heart sinking again as her eyes fell.

"But that doesn't mean we should give up. We came close, closer than ever. I think one day we will defeat Him." Kari tried to speak up positively.

"Yeah." Chris smiled quietly at her, it was hard for any of them to believe it anymore, but Kari had to be right.

"Well, the brand split wasn't that great of an idea, so, you guys can all travel together again." Linda smiled meekly, her way of saying she wanted them to stick together after all in order to take Him down.

"Thanks Linda." Trish smiled warmly at her, but hidden behind the smile was the return of her same life of pain as she struggled with her past memories of Shane.

"Well, we better go. See you later." Christian stood up and led the others out of her office.

They walked down the hall and Ash pushed the button for the elevator, "Well I guess we will have to continue our journey together. He has to be beaten."

"Yeah, but there is still so much about Lillian that is unexplained." Kari began to think. "It's almost like what happened months ago with that Ralph guy, and the twins Cher and Reno."

"Yes, I don't think we will ever really know the whole truth." Trish agreed.

"Well of course not, this isn't the end of the story yet." Christian smirked and stepped towards Trish.

"Huh?" She looked up to see him smiling down at her.

"I think we need to follow the role of Chris and Kari." He put an arm behind her and pulled her close.

"Christian, what are you…?" She turned bright red.

"What are you talking about?" Chris asked.

"Following me and Chris?" Kari blinked.

"Oh, you don't remember? Then allow me to remind you." Christian closed his eyes and moved in to kiss Trish as she struggled and squirmed and finally cried out, breaking a hand free.

"Uh oh, here it comes." Ash shook his head as the door dinged and opened.

"AH!" Christian cried as Trish slapped his face.

"Hmph." Trish stomped into the elevator.

"Is that, really what happened…?" Kari couldn't refresh her memory.

"Who cares, it's all in the past." Chris shrugged it off, leading the rest of them into the elevator. "What does matter as that we're all together in the present and can look towards the future. He will be defeated!" He clenched a fist.

"Yeah, and we'll do it together!" Kari followed in suite with his determination.

Chris smiled down at her, "Yeah."

"I just hope he can learn from his past mistakes." Ash nodded up at the sullen Christian. The door closed as they all laughed and the elevator took them to their next destination, their next adventure together, to the future of their lives.


End file.
